Back in November, research firm Strategy Analytics estimated that Samsung's Galaxy S III had topped the list of worldwide smartphone shipments for the third quarter of 2012, taking advantage of a lull in iPhone 4S sales ahead of the iPhone 5 launch to claim the crown.

Unsurprisingly, the firm's latest figures published today find that Apple easily reclaimed the title for the fourth quarter of the year with the iPhone 5 seeing shipments of 27.4 million units for 12.6% of the market.

Not only did the iPhone 5 top the market, but the iPhone 4S also saw more shipments than the Galaxy S III, as shipments of the previous-generation iPhone actually saw an uptick in the fourth quarter after Apple cut pricing.

Quote:

Apple's iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S together accounted for 1 in 5 of all smartphones shipped worldwide in Q4 2012. This was an impressive performance, given the iPhone portfolio's premium pricing. We estimate Samsung's Galaxy S3 was the world's third best-selling smartphone model and it shipped 15.4 million units globally, capturing 7 percent share in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Strategy Analytics' numbers are of course an estimate, given that Apple does not break down iPhone sales by model and Samsung does not even release handset shipment data.

The leapfrog game between Apple and Samsung is likely to continue when Samsung launches its new flagship handset, the Galaxy S4, which is expected on March 14.

Now let's compare the combined iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S sales with the combined Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S2 sales, shall we? And if that doesn't help, let's also add the iPhone 4 and the Galaxy S to the mix.

Are those ridiculous statistics really necessary? By now everybody already knows that Samsung sells more UNITS than Apple while Apple still has a larger profit margin because they only sell devices in the high-end price segment.

And unless Apple all of a sudden also enters the low-end price segment (i.e. smartphones WITHOUT contract for LESS than 99 USD), those figures won't magically change.

Now let's compare the combined iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S sales with the combined Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S2 sales, shall we? And if that doesn't help, let's also add the iPhone 4 and the Galaxy S to the mix.

Are those ridiculous statistics really necessary? By now everybody already knows that Samsung sells more UNITS than Apple while Apple still has a larger profit margin because they only sell devices in the high-end price segment.

And unless Apple all of a sudden also enters the low-end price segment (i.e. smartphones WITHOUT contract for LESS than 99 USD), those figures won't magically change.

It's nice to see an estimate on how Apple is doing with overall sales in the high end market, which includes the S3...

I would ask: Is this the most important concern of Mac and Apple users
that really belongs in the Wall Street Journal...what is the most important
issue, is the security update offered today for download. Too often I find this site to be devoted to business news and if that is the intent, why not create a new webpage: APPLEBUSINESSNEWS.COM

Now let's compare the combined iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S sales with the combined Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S2 sales, shall we? And if that doesn't help, let's also add the iPhone 4 and the Galaxy S to the mix.

Are those ridiculous statistics really necessary? By now everybody already knows that Samsung sells more UNITS than Apple while Apple still has a larger profit margin because they only sell devices in the high-end price segment.

And unless Apple all of a sudden also enters the low-end price segment (i.e. smartphones WITHOUT contract for LESS than 99 USD), those figures won't magically change.

I can only assume you read the title and not the post. I thought they meant a combined total when I read the title but the chart and article point out that the 4S and 5 both outsold the S3 individually.

Now let's compare the combined iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S sales with the combined Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S2 sales, shall we? And if that doesn't help, let's also add the iPhone 4 and the Galaxy S to the mix.

Are those ridiculous statistics really necessary? By now everybody already knows that Samsung sells more UNITS than Apple while Apple still has a larger profit margin because they only sell devices in the high-end price segment.

And unless Apple all of a sudden also enters the low-end price segment (i.e. smartphones WITHOUT contract for LESS than 99 USD), those figures won't magically change.

The table shows smartphone shipment share as well as market share, not profit share.

The Galaxy line is actually behind in all areas (not sure if you include all Samsung models, including low-end Android 2.3 models, though).

Android as a whole beats the iPhone worldwide, but it doesn't it the US.

I don't think anyone expects Apple to stay in first place as far as innovation AND sales go. History repeats itself.

The difference is we want Apple to continue to be the frontrunner. But in an area where innovation and advancements have happened so quickly with smartphones ever since the iPhone; it is expected to have other companies to catch copy, catch up, and/or innovate.

Apple has to respond. How they do that is ultimately up to them. I hope they take their own advice and not stretch themselves too thin and don't start introducing "crappy stuff".

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Last edited by street.cory; Feb 20, 2013 at 09:50 AM.
Reason: Added a line

Now let's compare the combined iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S sales with the combined Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S2 sales, shall we? And if that doesn't help, let's also add the iPhone 4 and the Galaxy S to the mix.

Are those ridiculous statistics really necessary? By now everybody already knows that Samsung sells more UNITS than Apple while Apple still has a larger profit margin because they only sell devices in the high-end price segment.

And unless Apple all of a sudden also enters the low-end price segment (i.e. smartphones WITHOUT contract for LESS than 99 USD), those figures won't magically change.

Now let's compare the combined iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S sales with the combined Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S2 sales, shall we? And if that doesn't help, let's also add the iPhone 4 and the Galaxy S to the mix.

Ya, my first thoughts in reading the article was that this is not the way to compare things.

Let's just add in more hardware versions until our total sales exceed their single item sales.

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That's "Geniuses," not Genii, genius.
To err, is PC.

The stock market analysts do. And the stock market analysts make nearly unattainable expectations for Apple. They had one of their best years and their stock price plummeted; not because of performance but because they "didn't meet analyst expecations". I don't expect Apple to fade away like BlackBerry or even hold a spot like Microsoft in the mobile phone market. I just believe the onslaught of Android devices of all form and fashion over the past 4 years has finally started to take its toll on Apple's shipments.

I agree. Can anyone give a good reason why Samsung's older model was not including when Apple's older model was included? After all, just like the iPhone 4S...the S2 is still on sale in many markets (even with a similar pricing model).